1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solar cell module and a solar cell panel using the same, and particularly to a solar cell module including a plurality of cells covered with cover glass sheets and a solar cell panel using the solar cell module.
2. Description of Related Art
Referring to FIG. 15, a conventional solar cell module 9 for use in space is formed by bonding cover glass sheets 1 to a plurality of solar cells 3 with adhesive layers 2, connecting the cells 3 to each other in parallel and in series using interconnectors 6, and bonding the cells to a substrate 5 with adhesive layers 4. The solar cell module 9 includes a bus bar 8 through which the module 9 is electrically connected with another solar cell module. Consequently, the interconnectors 6 and the bus bar 8 mounted at an end of the module 9 are exposed to the environment in space (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. HEI 5(1993)-136441, for example).
The space environment is also an electromagnetic environment, where ionized electrons and ions exist in a plasmatic state. Therefore, the solar cell module 9, whose interconnectors 6 are exposed in such an environment, may electrically discharge via the interconnectors 6, which results in a decrease in generated electric power and destruction of the solar cells 3. For this reason, the interconnectors 6 themselves are covered with an insulating resin (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. HEI 61(1986)-202474, for example).
Also, in the conventional module, the adhesive layer 2 is forced out of the sides onto the top surface of the cover glass sheets 1 when the solar cells are bonded to the cover glass sheets 1, as shown in FIG. 16. If the forced out adhesive layer 2 is exposed to the space environment, it reduces its light transmittance and consequently decreases the output of the solar cells 3 thereunder. Therefore, the forced out adhesive layer needs to be removed. The removal thereof causes failures in production since the solar cells 3 and the cover glass sheets 1 are usually as thin as 50 .mu.m to 200 .mu.m and apt to break easily.
Further, in the conventional module, to bond each cover glass sheet 1 to each solar cell 3 takes a lot of time and labor. Besides, portions of the solar cells 3 which are not covered with the cover glass sheets 1 are deteriorated rapidly in the space environment, especially even due to low-energy protonic radiation. On the other hand, if the cover glass sheets 1 are larger than the solar cells 3, the ratio of the area of the solar cells 3 to the total area of the module decreases and accordingly the output of the solar cell module per unit area declines.
For this reason, it is not preferable to use larger cover glass sheets than the solar cells 3. Accordingly, at the boding of the glass sheets 1 to the solar cells 3, high accuracy in size is required so that each solar cells 3 is not projected from each cover glass sheet 1. This makes the bonding operation more time- and labor-consuming.
Furthermore, inexact positioning between the solar cells 3 and the cover glass sheets 1 results in an increased distance between adjacent solar cells and a consequent decline in power-generating efficiency per area.